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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More fur trade biographies - this time the French participants, February 4, 2006
This review is from: French Fur Traders and Voyageurs in the American West (Paperback)
I was surprised to learn in the introduction to this book that a complete roster of fur trappers and traders of the Far West would yield that 80% of the men had French surnames. It's not uncommon to come across French names in diaries and records of the Mountain Man period, but with so much emphasis placed on the accomplishments (and they were many and noteworthy) of men like Smith, Walker, Bridger, Carson, Ashley, and Fitzpatrick, it's easy to overlook what should be common sense: French engages and chasseurs, most from Canada, had long roamed the West and knew its rivers and streams well before Ashley organized the first trapping expedition to the trans-Missouri West in 1822. So it was with heightened interest that I perused this volume by LeRoy Hafen, a compilation of biographies of 22 French participants in the fur trade enterprise; all of them originally appeared in Hafen's 10-volume THE MOUNTAIN MEN AND THE FUR TRADE OF THE FAR WEST, published in the 1960s. (Instead of issuing excerpts as in this book and the three others like it, I wish Bison Books had just republished the whole 10-volume work.) The biographies are fairly comprehensive (some 20+ pages, most 10-20 pages, only one short at five pages), and attempt to detail the movements and activities of each man. I found it interesting that the man Brown identified with Brown's Hole in northwestern Colorado just might be Jean-Baptiste Chalifoux, a trapper mainly operating out of Taos who had gone overland to California more than once (his name is found etched on a rock near Willow Creek in Utah). One perhaps unintended accomplishment of the biographies is the disputation of the unflattering stereotypes of the French voyageurs that have been perpetuated in some later books, that they were cowardly and lazy. The lives lived by these men as depicted here point to just the opposite. A disappointment I had with the book is that a few of the entries were also included in other books in the series; why this was done when there were so many men to choose from in the 10-volume set is a mystery. But despite the repetition, the book is an excellent source for information on the fur trade period. It's also an interesting (and inspiring) book to read.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, concise biographies, November 19, 2001
This review is from: French Fur Traders and Voyageurs in the American West (Paperback)
I have come to the conclusion that anything written by or edited by Leroy Hafen is a must read. Add to that, a fine introduction by Janet Lecompte. The book itself describes 22 meaningful, condensed biographies of well known and not so well known French fur traders and trappers of the early 1800's. Each chapter conveys the hardships, lifestyles, pressures and strategies of opposing fur companies and adventures of these early pioneers. The reader will no doubt have a few favorite chapters and from these chapters, one can look at the bibliographies to select further readings. A good book.
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5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Want info on Voyageurs? Don't bother with this book!, January 2, 2005
This review is from: French Fur Traders and Voyageurs in the American West (Paperback)
I recently became interested in the contributions of the French fur trappers and voyageurs to the opening of the Canadian and American West. I bought this book and Grace Lee Nute's "The Voyageur" as my introduction to this relatively unexplored chapter of American history. Hafen's book "French Fur Traders and Voyageurs in the American West" is a collection of biographies essentially written in the style of over-long obituaries (born such and such a date, did this on such and such a date, had so many kids, died on this date, etc.). There was very little information on the history of the fur trade, the explorations of the voyageurs, or the great fur companies. There is no personality to the writing or no life to the biographical sketches. The text is turgid, stiff, and pedantic. The only informative part of the book is the introduction by Janet Lecompte, who, in 18 pages, gives more information in the most readable style, than the entire book's 333 pages does altogether. Hafen's style reminds me of the way we were taught back in elementary and middle school when all of the kids were taught, almost by design, to despise history. Some of us learned to love history despite our educational experiences; most do not. This book would only reinforce the stereotype of unreadable and unenjoyable history (names, dates, places). On the other hand, if you do want to learn about French fur trappers and voyageurs and their impact on the early history of the American West, read Grace Lee Nute's "The Voyageur". I don't think I have ever read a better book on early American history in a long time. Even though it was written originally in 1931 and is now published under the auspices of the Minnesota Historical Society (both fairly daunting to most history-haters), it is eminently readable, informative, and well worth the investment (i.e., it's a keeper). It delves into the impact of the voyageurs and their culture to American history, and explores their contributions to place-names. It also has a chapter on some of the songs, with the written music included, sung by voyageurs to keep their spirits up while traveling and for keeping their rhythm while paddling. So, while the Hafen will end up at the local Friends of the Library bin, "The Voyageur" will be safely ensconced on my shelves for a very long time (at least until I can get the hardback version!).
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